by Dr. Bill Koch
(Originally published as Chiropractors: Martial Artists of the Healing Arts in The American Chiropractor, April 2014)
Chiropractic has never been a profession for wimps. Historically, the profession has attracted rugged individualists. Today, even though it is a well-recognized and respected profession and part of the mainstream, it takes a unique individual to pursue a chiropractic career.
Chiropractors as Martial Artists
I first began thinking of myself as a healing martial artist about 30 years ago. The similarities between chiropractic and the martial arts became apparent to me when I began studying the various martial arts.
The common thread between chiropractic and the martial arts is discipline. When practiced at their highest levels of expertise, practitioners train incessantly in a never-ending pursuit of excellence. They understand the concept that function follows form, and that assessment of the situation, control, attention to detail, and the precise execution of every move are critical to success.
Dr. George Gonzalez, the developer of Quantum Neurology™, has said that he practices the martial arts for the physical conditioning, control, and mental/ emotional benefits they provide.
Dr. Eugene Charles, one of the preeminent practitioners and teachers of applied kinesiology, said that he thinks of himself as a Jedi warrior of healing. He went on to say that he encourages his students to embody the characteristics of the Jedi into the role of healer.
I believe that to survive and thrive in this rapidly changing world of health care, chiropractors need to practice with the martial artist’s discipline, clear intention and sense of purpose, honor, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence. We must always seek mastery of our professional skills. We need to be martial artists—the Jedi warriors of the healing arts.
The world of health care is changing before our eyes at an alarming rate. Certainly, the implementation of Obamacare is the elephant in the room, but there is more to it than that. There is a growing distrust of the medical system on the part of the public, as well as by many doctors.
There is no way to rationalize away the 2,000 deaths caused each day by medical mistakes and drug reactions. Nor can we ignore the deadly, drug-resistant, mutant strains of bacteria that have evolved as the result of the careless and indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
Chiropractic as a profession is not immune to public skepticism and distrust. This is largely due to the practice by some members of the profession who try to sell every case that comes in the door as a “big case” that ultimately requires lifetime care.
Aggressive marketing tactics and case recommendations based on maxing out the limits of patients’ insurance coverage and not on their healthcare needs have had a negative effect on the profession’s image.
The twenty-first century will prove to be a time of culling in all corners of the healing arts. The sheep surely will be separated from the goats. There already is a rapidly developing two-tiered system of health care.
Doctors in every profession will have to decide if they want to be government employees or practice as private practitioners. This will be a difficult choice for some and a “no brainer” for others.
Those who choose to practice privately must have strong dedication to clinical excellence and personal service to their patients. The term “concierge practice” is used frequently to describe the private “cash for service” practices that are on the increase all over the country.
I see this as being the only way to maintain personal and professional integrity and quality of patient care.
Government run programs are notorious for the waste and abuses that proliferate in them. Socialized healthcare programs have proven to be failures in most countries where they exist. The citizens of the US are not accustomed to, nor will they like, the kind of rationed care administered by overworked, unmotivated, and underpaid doctors that residents
of most other countries have to endure.
We need to put the “care” back into healthcare. I believe this is not only the right thing to do, but also the best way to succeed in practice today. If you offer people the exceptional and personalized care they can no longer get from “the system,” I believe you will find that your practice will thrive and grow organically through happy patient referrals.
You will find, as I have, that many people, even those of modest means, will place such a high priority on quality, personalized health care that they will be willing to pay for it out of pocket.
These are challenging times, but I believe these challenges provide a unique opportunity for success. The modern crisis in health care is providing the ideal environment for chiropractors to step up and take their rightful place as the preferred primary care physicians of the twenty-first century.
As is the case for all healthcare professionals today, chiropractors now face some important decisions.
Do you want to remain an old-fashioned “bone cracker” who is satisfied treating backaches and sprains, working harder for less in reimbursements, and at the mercy of the new health insurance system?
Or would you prefer to practice as a healing martial artist? Would you like to become an exceptional chiropractic physician, a master of your profession with the consciousness of a healer who always puts patients’ needs first? And would you like to be rewarded with a thriving cash practice?
For me, the choice is simple. I believe that excellence is always rewarded and I always strive for excellence. It is my desire and intention to be a Jedi warrior of the healing arts. I believe that if we, as chiropractors, practice our science, philosophy, and art with noble intentions and the highest level of expertise, then “the force” will surely be with us.
